What's In A Name
by MikeJaffa
Summary: Beka makes a powerful impression on a Nietzschean officer.


TITLE: What's in a Name?

AUTHOR: MikeJaffa

SUBJECT: Beka makes an impression, and there is agreement aboard the *Andredmea.*

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Over the weekend I discovered that has folded up, taking with it two Andromeda fan fiction sites that not only had some of my stories (which I may have never saved on my computer - my bad) as well as some from other authors I liked. So to show my appreciation for 's continued existence, I thought I would add to this thread. It also responds to something Lisa Ryder said in a DVD interview, how Beka and Rommie never went someplace and had an adventured. A short adventure, but here it is. And there is a little silliness in here …I hope. Those of you who know what that means know what to put down.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Andromeda (and don't know who does, if anybody) and am writing this without authorization and without getting paid.

Beka had stopped straining against her bonds and sat in the chair, waiting. The room was an austere concrete box, probably in a basement someplace. Her captors had tied her up and left the room.

It had been a bad day.

Dylan had characterized it as a simple mission: go to planet XYZ, get information from a contact on the Drago Kasov Prides's Latest Dastardly Plan, and come home. By process of elimination, Rommie had been the only one free to go. Not that Beka had minded, but she and the *Andromeda's* android avatar had never gone anywhere together by themselves. It had seemed strange, but not unpleasant. And they'd been relaxed enough about the mission that their biggest concern had been discontinuing their small talk on landing.

Of course, it hadn't been easy, as Dylan often said. The mission had turned out to be a trap laid by the Drago-Kasov Pride, and she had lost track of Rommie (who may have been shot). There had been the ride in the floater and then being strapped to this chair with all manner of threats. And then waiting.

'Hurry up and wait,' Beka thought. But the building (house - whatever) remained quiet. 'Did they forget me?' she wondered.

Almost in answer to her thought, the door to one side banged open and a Nietzschean wobbled in, laden down with cases and flexies. Bald and with a goatee, he didn't wear a Drago Kasov insignia, but she knew that was who he was.

Baldie looked left and right and spied Beka. "Ah!" He sounded happy to see her. "There you are." He dropped his cases. "Excuse me."

Beka frowned. "Service with a smile," she muttered.

Badie came back in with a folding chair and table. "I apologize if you've been kept waiting too long," he said as he set up the chair and table. "This op was somewhat thrown together, and I was just flown in from Enge's Redoubt. I've had to improvise some equipment, but I think I have enough for this interview. Oh, and where are my manners? I am Ivan Romanof, Drago-Kasov Pride."

"Nice to meet ya," Beka said. "I'd shake your hand, but I'm kinda tied up at the moment."

Ivan laughed. "Yes, I'll have to forego that pleasure." He finally had the chair and table set up with his cases on it. He sat down and grabbed a flexie. "All right, let's see here. Rebecca Valentine…do you prefer Becky?"

"My *friends* call me Beka. You can stick to anything but that.."

"Oh, but we will be getting to know each other, so Beka it is. Excuse me while I catch up on your case…" He read and his eyes bugged out and he whistled. "Wow! You have some impressive accomplishments to your name. Must have some good DNA. In fact…." He peered at her. "I don't believe it. Just a minute." He went to the door and pulled it open. "Victor! Get in here."

Victor was muscular and blonde. "What?"

Ivan pointed at Beka. "This is Beka Valentine. Doesn't she look like your half-sister Diedre?"

Victor scrutinized Beka. "You're right. It's uncanny. Although Diedre's a red-head."

"So am I," Beka said. She closed her eyes and sent the mental commands to deactivate her hair's nanobots. Her hair changed from blonde to its natural shade of red. "See?" Then she frowned. 'Why did I do that?' she wondered.

If Ivan and Victor noted the incongruity of a captive being chatty with her captors, they didn't show it. Victor pointed at Beka and turned to Ivan. "That is uncanny, the same shade of red exactly. And Dee has been talking about hair nanos!"

"And look at what she's credited with," Ivan said, showing him her flexie.

Victor's jaw dropped. "Whoa! She must have fantastic DNA."

"I know, I was just saying-wasn't I just saying?-yes, I was."

"Incredible." Victor turned to Beka. "I have to get back on guard duty. Nice to meet you. And I have suggestions for how to avoid biting your tongue off when it comes time."

"I'll remember to ask," Beka said as Victor left the room.

"Well, Beka," Ivan said as he returned to his chair, "I am impressed. And I'm not going to qualify it by saying 'for a kludge.' You are impressive, period. And your name …. Rebecca Valnetine, Rebecca Valentine…You know, Beka, one of my wives is expecting, and we decided to not find out the gender of the child in advance. We've agreed on what to name a male, but we're hung up on a female name. But Rebecca? Valentine? Valentina? I'd like to use them, with your permission."

"Sure. Hope I get to see it."

"Oh, I think I can arrange that. And my family has some strapping male slaves you could consider mating with. Your life…well, compared to what you've done, your life would be boring. But it would be comfortable and I would consider it an honor to arrange it for you. But I need something from you in return."

"Aw, Ivan, and here I thought you were doing it out of the goodness of your heart."

"No, Beka there must be a quid pro quo. So, tell me all about the *Andromeda,* Dylan Hunt, his plans for a Commonwealth, access codes, and whatever else you can think of, and I'll see what I can do for you."

Beka smiled sweetly. "Go make babies with your sister," she said.

Ivan laughed. "That's a good one." He opened one of his cases. "So I guess we do this 'the hard way.' But I want you to know this in no way diminishes my respect for you. I completely understand. Under different circumstances, we would not be adversaries, but this is the hand the universe has dealt us. There is no need for anger or recrimination over it; this just is. So I suggest you-"

"Sit back and enjoy the ride?"

Ivan grimaced. "Ooh, you're not one of those people who gets sexually aroused by pain, are you? Very disturbing; very hard to deal with it." He shuddered. "I hate those cases! Please say you're not."

"Nah, you'll be pleased to know I just scream."

"Good. And I like your attitude. Laugh in the face of adversity; exist in the moment, no matter what is happening. That's the key to living we-" Something on his belt beeped. He fished out his communicator and read the small screen. "What? Now?" He pulled open the door. "Victor? Do you know what this is about?"

Victor stuck his head in. "No idea. But you know who he's married to."

"Ugh." Ivan turned to Beka. "Nepotism. Huge problem. But that's what you get when bloodlines and treachery are valued more than competence, I suppose. I'll be a few minutes." He smiled. "Don't go away."

Beka smiled. "I'll be here."

The door closed and Beka's smile vanished. "Judas Priest," she muttered. "Ten trillion Nietzscheans and I'm going to be tortured by a chronically happy stand-up comedian. God, if you get me out of this, I will never complain about Tyr's stoicism again."

The door opened, but instead of Ivan or Victor, Rommie, the beautiful raven-haired ship's avatar, walked in. She spotted Beka and smiled. "Ready to go?"

"More than you know. I suggest you get me out of this chair before they start following dead bodies back here."

"I didn't kill anyone," Rommie said as she undid Beka's bonds. "The ones I didn't render unconscious I misdirected. Your interrogator was so personable I didn't have the heart to kill him."

Beak stood. "Well let's get out of here before he comes back. Our luck, he'll praise you and try to set you up with a Drago Kasov cruiser."

….THE *ANDROMEDA* FOUR WEEKS LATER…..

"And there she is," Dylan said from behind her.

Beka turned and saw Dylan and Tyr coming down the corridor behind her. She stopped in her tracks. "Excuse me?"

"You've created quite a stir in Nietzschean social circles," Tyr said as he and Dylan faced Beka.

"The officer assigned to interrogate you," Dylan said, "according to intel from our friends in the Sabra-Jaguar Pride, one of his wives just gave birth to twin girls. He named one Rebecca and the other Valentina. He named them after you."

"He had to go the Council of Matriarch for a special dispensation to do that," Tyr said, "which he received after making an impassioned plea."

"And the council was so impressed," Dylan added, "they also approve the name Rebecca Valentine for general use. So from now until the end of time, Nietzschean parents will name some of their girls Rebecca Valentine."

"You have been immortalized," Tyr said.

"You must have made quite an impression," Dylan said.

Beka grinned, embarrassed and proud all at once. "I guess I did. But you have to admit I have my moments."

Dylan and Tyr exchanged glances. Then they raised their arms and began bowing to Beka.

"Great," Beka said, still smiling. "The first time you guys agree on anything and you have to be smartasses."

THE END


End file.
